Understanding The Mechanisms Of Functionally Selective Antipsychotic Drugs: Implications For New Generation Antipsychotic Drugs
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$371,745.00
Summary
Schizophrenia is a chronic and devastating disease that ranks among the top 10 disabilities in developed countries. It places a significant burden on the Australian health system, costing about $1.5 billion each year. This project aims to reveal the mechanisms of new functionally selective antipsychotic drugs, which achieve an excellent therapeutic efficacy with low side-effects. Understanding these mechanisms will provide novel directions for the design of new generation antipsychotic drugs.
TIR Signalling Pathway Pharmacogenomics And Opioid Response: Beyond The Mu Opioid Receptor
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$246,396.00
Summary
This project will identify why some people respond poorly and others have toxic side effects to the major group of pain relieving medications, the opioids. The basis will be the genetics of the immune system and both acute postoperative and chronic cancer pain patients will be studied in this international pharmacogenetics project.
Molecular Dissection Of The Actin Cytoskeleton In Exocytosis Using Intravital Microscopy
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,206,869.00
Summary
The proteins actin and tropomyosin form networks in cells that are involved in all of the key processes that are hijacked when a cell becomes cancerous. We discovered that the tropomyosin is the key to the function of a network and have developed drugs that target the cancer-associated tropomyosin. We will examine how the drugs kill cancer cells using a novel method, developed by us, to visualize drug activity in real time, and validate their impact on the target filaments in living tissue.
High Risk Prescribing In Older Australians: Prevalence, Outcomes And Potential For Intervention
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$595,628.00
Summary
Older people are the most likely to be prescribed medicines yet they are the most likely to be harmed by their medicines. The extent of and trends in high risk prescribing among older Australians are not known. This project will use large-scale linked data to determine the prevalence, risk factors, clinical consequences and costs of high risk prescribing among older people in Australia. The findings of this project will be used to identify targets for minimising harm relating to use of medicines ....Older people are the most likely to be prescribed medicines yet they are the most likely to be harmed by their medicines. The extent of and trends in high risk prescribing among older Australians are not known. This project will use large-scale linked data to determine the prevalence, risk factors, clinical consequences and costs of high risk prescribing among older people in Australia. The findings of this project will be used to identify targets for minimising harm relating to use of medicines.Read moreRead less
Cyclotherapy: A New Approach To Stop The Side Effects Of Chemotherapy
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$565,847.00
Summary
Cyto-toxic chemotherapy is a widely used treatment for cancer but is associated with significant side effects for the patient. These are due to the chemotherapy killing normal dividing cells in the gut, bone marrow and hair follicles. We will determine the potential of cyclotherapy in preventing these side effects. In cyclotherapy a pre-treatment temporarily stops normal cells from dividing and therefore protects them from the damage of subsequent chemotherapy.
Visualisation And Early Prediction Of ROS-mediated Treatment Response In Liver Cancer By A Novel Nanoplatform
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$334,224.00
Summary
Change of tumour microenvironment has potential to serve as an early predictor of drug efficacy. This proposed project aims to develop a new technology to accurately measure tumour microenvironment during treatment, and to explore the correlation between this potential predicator and tumour growth. This technology would significantly improve the patient prognosis by revealing non-response to chemotherapeutics early and allowing the timely administration of alternative therapies.
Small Molecule Inhibitors To Reprogram The Tumour Environment And Improve Immunotherapy
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$784,520.00
Summary
Cancer blood vessels are different to normal blood vessels; they help cancer cells to spread and stop immune cells in their tracks. We have identified drugs which help to make cancer blood vessels more normal and also bring immune cells into the cancer core. We will test these drugs in combination with immunotherapies, a new treatment option which has not reached its full potential in the clinic. Since our drug candidates are already in clinical use, we expect to fast track clinical development.
In 2013 there were ~200 million clinical cases of malaria, causing ~600,000 deaths. All antimalarial drugs are now associated with malaria parasite resistance. Thus, new therapies are urgently needed, including new drugs to prevent this disease. We have made the exciting discovery that an existing antimalarial drug can kill malaria parasites in a unique, previously unknown, manner. Here, we will investigate how this occurs and develop new drug candidates for malaria prevention.
IgA nephropathy is one of the most common causes of kidney failure in Australia and around the world, but there are currently no specific treatments proven to prevent kidney failure. The SIGNAL trial, jointly led by Australian and Chinese researchers, will bring together leading experts from around the world to reliably ascertain the effects of steroid therapy in this condition, and could potentially prevent many people from developing kidney failure in the future.
DOCetaxel With Or Without Radiation Therapy For Resectable Oesophageal Adenocarcinoma Based On Early PET Response To Induction Chemotherapy (DOCTOR).
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,024,738.00
Summary
Oesophageal cancer continues to have poor survival despite surgery. Patients responding to pre-operative chemotherapy have better survival than those who do not. This study proposes using early FDG-PET scan to identify patients not responding to standard chemotherapy. This will permit the timely change of therapy to alternative regimens with a newer agent with or without radiotherapy, aiming to improve outcomes. This represents a paradigm shift in the management of oesophageal cancer.